Flowerpot saucer



July 2, 1940.

l. H. GREEENE V 2,206,694

AFLowERPoT SAUCER Filed Dec. 1Q, 1938l ATTORNEYS Patented 'July 2, 1940N f oNrrE-o STATES PATENT orricisy i 4 y The invention relatestoanarticle ofmanufacture constituting asaucer or tray suitable for useasabase for owerpots. The saucer or tray, in accordance with the preferredembodiment of 5 my invention, is fabricated-of molded rubber, al-

i though the features of novelty embodied in my construction of`lowerpot sauceror tray are equal- 1y capable of embodiment in likearticles fabricated` of other materials,` for instance ceramic, clay.`china, etc. A 1

OneI of ithe 'objects ofthe invention is to provide abase, such as asaucer or tray,`for a flowerpot of the conventional vtype containingflowers and plantsin thehome, garden,I etc., in which thenovelconstruction` involving the use of a" providedopening inthe bottomof the flowerpot,l

so-asto promoteahealthy plant growth. A reservoir of 4moisture is thusprovided which is* effective'to1keep"the*plarit alive and toimpartthereto a beauty otherwisecapable of securement only by carefulattendance yupon the plant andv t the fixed yperiodical replenishing ofwater necessary toA promote `its growth and healthy and atl tractiveappearance.

In accordance with niyinvention, I provide a saucer or tray, which is toconstitute the base for a fiowerpot,`with a" pluraliy of nearly, but not40. quite,`radia11y extending *ribs upon the bottom surface of the tray,which ribs increase in vertical thickness from the center of the traytoward its outer peripheral edge. Upon the interior surfacelof-'thebottom ofl-thelsaucer or tray, and

substantially` above" the' elongated ribs providedl along 'the bottom"surface thereof, I provide a plurality of `s`ma1ler^ribs extending atangles to thelargerfribs; which smaller ribs decrease successively invertical 5 thickness from their ends nearer the center ofy the sauceror'tray toward t the ends 'nearer-the peripheral edge ofthe tray.

In thismannerf-the'baseiportion of the saucer ortrayis give'na sunkenfcharacter, with a pitch extending fronithe outer peripheraledge' of thesaucer ortrayiztowardsit's center. At the `saine time, by reason of theincreased thickness of the smaller `ribs towards the center of thetray,a substantially `plane surface ist provided `by the upper surfaces ofsuch small ribs to support the flowerpot, in proper vertical position,within the 5 saucer or tray. y In accordance'with -my invention, Iprovide, at thecenter of4 the tray asubstantially circular pad ofabsorbent material, for instance felt',4

which thus is positioned. immediately below the'` 10 conventionalopeningin the center vof the bottom of the flowerpot, Vthe absorbent padconstituting a reservoir for water collected at `the, center of thesaucer or tray by reason of the pitchedcharacter of the traybottom, andis effective to del5 liversuch water, through the aperture in the flowierpot,rto the soil contained in such fiowerpot. f

A specific embodiment uof `my.invention is illustrated intheaccompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a vertical section throughaowerpot 20 saucer or tray, in the construction of `which my inventionhas been embodied, the -vertical'section being taken along the line le!of Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the saucer; and Fig. 3 is a bottomview thereof. i 25 Referring more particularly to the drawing, in whichsimilar reference characters identify similar parts in' the severalviews, 4 is'the body 'of the saucer, which, in the preferred embodimentillustrated, is formed of molded rubber, the upso per peripheral edgethereof beingprovided with a circumferential bead 5. The bottom 6 of thesaucer or tray has impartedthereto a definite pitch, the degree of whichis determined by the provision, upon the lower surface thereof, lof a 35plurality of elongated ribs 1, integrally formed with thetray, whichribs extend alongthe bottom surface lof the tray from points somewhatremoved from the center of the traytowards, and near, the peripheraledge of the bottom. In the 40 particular embodiment .of `my inventionillustrated, I have provided six of such elongated ribs, which are notexactly radial, as `shown clearly in Fig. 3, but somewhat offset, theaxes of the ribs,

. if extended toward the center of the tray, pass- 4b ing to just oneside of the exact center thereof. Each of the ribs 1 tapers invthickness from its outer end near the periphery of the tray bottom,toward the center, as shown clearly in Fig.` 1. This tapering in thevertical'thickness of the 50 ribs produces a sunken bottom with a pitchthereof which depends upon such degree of tapering in thickness of theelongated ribs.`

Upon the opposite or inner face of the base of the saucer, andsubstantially above the elon- 55 gated ribs 1, I provide an equivalentnumber of groups of short ribs 8, 9 and lil, the ribs increasing inlength from the center of the saucer towards its peripheral edge, andtherefore from the inner ends of the underlying elongated ribs 1 towardthe outer ends thereof. Theribs 8, 9 and I0, as clearly shown in Fig. 2,are preferably dis-v sufficient vertical space to accommodate apreferably disc-shaped pad Il of absorbent material such as felt, thedisc being preferably substantially of the same size or slightly largerthan the conventional aperture provided in the bottom of the ilowerpot,the outer contour of which is shown in dotted lines at I2 in Fig. 1.

From the above description, it will be noted that I have provided anovel flowerpot saucer or tray which has distinct advantages over priorart structures. These advantages may be summarized as constituted by theprovision of a sunken rbottom for the saucer, which permits theaccumulation of a suicient amount of water inthe center to keep the soilin the ilowerpot moist to the degree necessary; the provision of theabsorbent pad constituting a reservoir, at the center of the tray, thepad acting as a wick, delivering the accumulated water to the soil injust the amounts necessary to keep the soil at the proper degree ofmoistness; the preservation of the pottery by keeping the moisture,ordinarily retained throughout the bottom of the tray, in the felt padimmediately below the aperture in the flowerpot; and the provision ofmeans of ventilation of the saucer both at the top, i. e. the interior,and at the bottom, i. e. the exterior thereof. This latter effect issecured by the provision of the ribs hereinabove described.

While I have described the preferred embodiment of my invention withsome particularity, especially in connection with the size, congurationand disposition of `the various ribs, utilized in the structure, it isobvious that various changes therein may be made without departing frommy invention.

I claim:

1. A owerpot saucer or tray comprising a cupped dish, the interior ofthe bottom of which is sunken at substantially the center of said dish,and a plurality of nearly, but not quite, radial elongated ribsextending along the lower surface of the bottom of the saucer andtapering in vertical thickness from their ends near the peripheral edgeof the saucer toward the center thereof, the lower surfaces of said ribsbeing at all times substantially in the same plane.

2. A flowerpot saucer or tray comprising a cupped dish, the bottom ofwhich is sunken at substantially the center of said dish, a plurality ofnearly, but not quite, radial elongated ribs extending along the lowersurface of the bottom of the saucer and tapering in vertical thicknessfrom their ends near the peripheral edge of the saucer" toward thecenter thereof, and a plurality of groups of short ribs disposed on theinner surface of the bottom of said saucer substantially above saidelongated ribs, said short ribs being tapered in vertical thickness fromtheir ends nearer the center of the saucer toward their oppositeendsfthe upper surfaces of said interior ribs and the lower surfaces ofsaid exterior ribs being in substantially parallel planes.

3. A flowerpot saucer or tray comprising a cupped dish, the bottom ofwhich is sunken atsubstantially the center of said dish, a plurality ofnearly, but not quite, radial elongated ribs extending along the lowersurface of the bottom of the saucer and tapering in vertical thicknessfrom their ends near the peripheral edge of the saucer toward the centerthereof, and a plurality of groups of short ribs disposed on the innersurface of the bottom of said saucer substantially above said elongatedribs, said short ribs being disposed at an angle to the long ribs andincreasingv in length from thecenter of the cup towards its peripheraledge and being tapered in vertical thickness from their ends nearer thecenter of the saucer toward their opposite ends, the upper surfaces ofsaid interior ribs and'f the lower surfaces of said exterior ribs beingin substantially parallel planes.

4. A flowerpot saucer or tray comprising a cupped dish, the bottom ofwhich is sunken at substantially the center of said dish, a plurality ofsubstantially radial elongated ribs extending from the lower surface ofthe bottom of the saucer, and tapering in vertical thickness from theirends near the peripheral edge of the saucer toward the center thereof,and a pad of absorbent material positioned at such sunken center of thedish so as to constitute a reservoir for water and effective to delivermoisture to the soil of a flowerpot placed into the saucer, the uppersurfaces of said interior ribs and the lower surfaces of said exteriorribs being in substantially parallel planes.

.5. A fiowerpot saucer or tray comprising a cupped dish, the bottom ofwhich is sunken at substantially the center of said dish, a plurality ofsubstantially radial elongated ribs extending from the lower surface ofthe bottom of the saucer, and tapering in vertical thickness from' theirends near the peripheral edge of the saucer toward the center thereof, aplurality of groups of short ribs disposed on the inner surface of thebottom of said saucer substantially above said elongated ribs, saidshort .ribs increasing in length from the center of the saucer towardsits peripheral edge and tapering in vertical thickness from their endsnearer the center of the saucer toward their opposite ends and a Apad ofabsorbent material positioned at such sunken center of the dish so as toconstitute a reservoir for water and effective to deliver moisture tothe soil of a flowerpot placed into the saucer, the upper surfaces ofsaid interior ribs and the lower surfaces of said exterior ribs being insubstantially parallel planes.

6. A ilowerpot saucer or tray comprising a cupped element of moldedrubber, the bottom of which is sunken at substantially the centerthereof, a plurality of substantially, but not quite, radial elongatedribs integrally formed with said saucer and extending from the lowersurface of the bottom of the saucer, said ribs tapering in verticalthickness from their ends near the peripheral edge of the saucer towardthe center thereof, a plurality of groups of short ribs integrallyformed with said saucer and disposed on the inner surface of the bottomof said saucer, substantially above said elongated ribs, said short ribsbeing disposed atan angle to the long jribs and increasing in lengthfrom the center of `the saucer towards its peripheral edge, said shortribs beingtapered in vertical thickness from their `ends nearer thecenter oi?` the saucer to ward their loppositeends, the upper surfacesof said interior ribs and the lower surfaces of said exterior ribs beingin substantially parallel planes.

'l.`A flowerpot saucer or tray comprisingv a cupped dish oi moldedrubber, the bottom of which is sunken atV substantially the center ofsaid dish, a plurality of substantially,..but not quite, radialelongated ribs integrally vformed` with said dish and extending from thelower 'sur-1 `face of the bottom of the dish, lsaid ribs tapering invertical thickness from their ends near theperipheral edge of the saucertoward the center thereof, a plurality ofgroupsof short ribs integrallyformed with said dish and disposed on' the inner surface of. the bottomof said dish substantially above said elongated ribs, said short ribsbeing disposed at an angle to the long ribs,

increasing in length from the center of the cup towards its peripheraledge, and tapering in vertical thickness from their ends nearer thecenter of the dish toward their opposite ends, and a substantiallycircular pad of absorbent material positioned at the center of thedish'` and constiy tuting a reservoir for the water collected at thesunken central portion of the bottom of the dish, eil'ective to delivermoisture to the soil 1 of a 'ilowerpot .placed into'thesaucer, the uppersurfacesot said :interiori-ribs and the lower surfaces of said exterior`ribs" 'being inf; substantially lParallel planes.

8. A lflowerpot saucer or tray comprising a cupped dish Vof moldedrubber,v the bottom of thereof, said dish beingv capableof resting on aplane' surface, the lower surfacesvof lsaid ribs, in

contact vwith said.' plane surface,"` lying ysubstantially in one plane,alpluralityotgroupsfof short ribs integrally Vformed with t saidvand^dls posed ontheinner surface of thebottom of vsaid dishsubstantially above said elongated ribs, said short Iribs being`disposed at an angle to the'long ribs,y increasing in length from the^center of lthe l cup towards its peripheral edge, and tapering invertical thickness `from-their ends nearer the center ofthe dish towardtheir opposite ends,

said short ribs being adapted tohold a flowerpot with a substantiallyfiat bottom, the upper surfaces of said short ribs in contact with saidiiowerpot bottom lying vsubstantially in one

